Four Kenyans Sentenced for Life in South Sudan Thank President Uhuru for Securing their Release

Four Kenyans who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in South Sudan for defrauding the Juba government made their first public appearance on Thursday after returning back to the country on Wednesday evening.

Addressing the media while in company of State House spokesperson Manoah Espisu and Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Monica Juma, the four thanked president Kenyatta for securing their release and ensuring they returned safely back to Kenya after spending their last two years behind bars in the Africa’s youngest nation.

“We want to thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for the effort he personally made to secure our release, I know its been a long time and we have been hearing he has really tried his best fulfilling his promise of bringing us back home and for that we are really grateful and thankful to the president,” Ravi Ramesh said on behalf of his colleagues.

The four, together with 12 other South Sudanese nationals were sentenced for life in 2015 for allegedly conniving to steal Ksh1.5 billion from the Office of South Sudanese President.

PS Monica Juma clarified that the four were not freed on prisoner exchange, but were pardoned by President Salva Kir within the confines of South Sudan’s constitution after President Uhuru’s intervention and called on Kenyans to observe due diligence when seeking for for jobs abroad.

“It is not a prisoner swap, they have undergone due process, there was a court process, there was a determination of a case, there was a judgement,” said the PS.

“What we have negotiated is to have our boys released within the framework of the law, what they received is a pardon by the president within the rule of law of South Sudan Constitution.”

The four, Anthony Mwadime, Ravi Ramesh, Boniface Muriuki and Anthony Keya further congratulated Uhuru and Deputy president William Ruto on their re-election.